NSW charity group to save thousands with donated solar system

Not for profit charity group Ronald McDonald House is set to save thousands of dollars a year on power costs, after an 8.3kW rooftop solar system was donated to its branch in Orange, NSW.

Ronald McDonald House CEO Rebecca Walsh said last week she was “delighted and astounded” by the offer to install a fully donated system at the Orange facility, which provides accommodation to the families of sick kids in the western New South Wales region.

The 8.23kW system has a retail value of $24,000, and its installation will be a collaborative effort between Trina Solar, Tigo Energy, Solar Juice and Lucknow based Dynamic Solar, whose owner, Leah Tinson, first approached RMH with the offer.

“The community has supported us, and without that we wouldn’t be here,” Dynamic Solar co-owner (and Leah’s husband) Craig Tinson said in an interview with the local paper. “So we’re stepping up to give back, we all live here.”

Craig Tinson said the solar panel system being installed was close to one of a kind in the Central West, being opitmised to provide all of the house’s electricity as well as live monitoring on energy consumption.

Trina Solar is supplying the solar panels for the project, while Tigo Energy is providing the DC optimisers, Solar Juice is providing the SMA inverter home manager, energy meter and rails, and all installation will be carried out by Dynamic Solar, who have also designed the system.

“Leah Tinson from Dynamic Solar has been the driving force behind the project and has been instrumental in bringing all the companies together for this important contribution to our community,” Walsh said.

“Orange’s RMH is a 24-hour, seven day week operation and it is expected we will save thousands of dollars a year in power costs which can now be redirected to services to support our families on a daily basis.

“We have to fund-raise everyday to keep the doors open, so any reduction in cost is vitally important and lessens the workload,” she said.

“We can redirect the money from electricity bills to other vital areas of the house enabling us to support our families on a daily basis.”

Walsh said the extra money would likely be spent on linen and commercial cleaning as well as supporting the volunteers who “are the heart of of what we do.”

Since Ronald McDonald House Orange opened its doors in April 2015, more than 165 families have made the house their home while their child is receiving treatment at the Orange Health Service.